Using the leftovers! Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Bake

And as the month winds up, the first recipe to be posted in quite awhile on this blog!!

This was actually a recipe inspired by several posts that I had seen on Pinterest for a version of mac and cheese using quinoa simply because we had left over chicken and quinoa in our fridge. The boy is not such a big fan of quinoa, claiming that it seems to be over done these days but I love it! So I keep trying to get him to see the yummy side of it all :) And he liked it even before he added the hot sauce which in our house equals success!

It's also just super easy and simple to get it to the table! Cut, Stir, Bake!

Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Bake (with chicken)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 c milk (I used skim)

1 1/2 t. minced garlic

1 plum tomato, chopped (optional)

1/2 to 3/4 cup corn salsa (I used Trader Joe's version)

1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded  Meican blend cheese (I used the 2% version)

Salt and Pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

6 ozs or so cooked and chopped chicken (optional)

1 - Preheat your oven to 350 and lightly grease a 8x8 pan. (This works really well in a toaster/convection oven in the summer!)

2 - Combine the first seven ingredients and stir together.

3 - Stir in the quinoa and chicken.

4 - Spread it in the pan and sprinkle with a bit more of the cheese (the top crust ends up being quite yummy so don't skip this!)

5 - Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on your oven, until the top is browned and looks crispy as well as much of the liquid having evaporated.

6 - Enjoy!

Serves 3-4 depending on size of serving and appetite!

I better get moving!

And write a post that is since I decided my initial goal was to write a post a month for the next couple of months... Nothing like waiting until the last day or anything!

The first month of a much needed summer break has flown by at a crazy speed! Part of me wonders where the past month has gone and then I think about it and wonder how I crammed so much into such a short time frame!

I started off the month by ditching the old phone (just the phone, not the carrier) and venturing into the world of a cooperating phone once again. Such a beautiful thing! The new one will actually let me make calls and do the things that I need to do! And the camera is fantastic which helps a great deal :)

The there was starting the summer job where I get to spend my time baking and by extension experimenting with a well known (in the area) cookie recipe to convert it to gluten free. Oh, and we are working on packing since we hope to move in the next couple of months. Let's see what else is going on...

 - We did a 20 mile bike ride to raise money to find a cure for Diabetes
 - Celebrated actually being married for 6 months!
 - Went to the Origins Game Convention in Columbus, OH - it was quite the experience in new things and there was A LOT of people watching, game playing (board games) and good food at the places in the area near the convention center. Oh, and a crazy experience with a flat tire - thank goodness for warranties on tires!
 - Celebrated Father's Day with my dad as well as spending time with other family throughout the month
 - Working on stuff for school in the fall
 - Trying to finish up grad school finally - that's still in progress but it's getting closer!
 - Spending time with some of my favorite kids as well as two new ones
 - And a whole ton more...

There are plans to actually read, experiment in the kitchen, scrapbook, get back to the gym and do more relaxing next month... :)

Poor, neglected, little blog...

This poor little blog! It got lost in the midst of crazy life happening because I keep thinking that I have to have something profound to say...

But, really I don't.

I can just mention the fun things and the crazy things in life while keeping it generally appropriate for anyone to read. I can also mention the things that don't go so well either or I could mention the crazy things I do in class to keep kids learning and problem solving at the end of the school year.

And I just simply need little outlets to re-find myself after lots of life experiences and changes before I head into even more...

New goal to post at least once a month for the next six months and then once a week after that :) Eventually I do hope this will be a way to stay in touch with more people on more regular basis - but that's the next step after the first two goals!